MY ONLY SUNSHINE [HAYAT VAR]
by Reha Erdem Turkey/Greece/Bulgaria 2008 35 mm 121 min. Turk. OV Germ. ST
14-year old Hayat (Turkish for "life"), her father and bedridden grandfather live in a riverside shack near the Bosporus. Her mother has left them long ago and married a policeman. Her father owns a small boat, securing the family’s survival mostly by grifts. Hayat’s life is harsh, she takes care of the household and her grandfather. Her only toy is a puppet made in China which her father brought to her and which can sing "You Are My Sunshine" by pressing the button at its arm. But Hayat has an instinct for survival. Her capacity for courage, endurance and hope in the face of these trials suggest that there is life despite the manifold injustice of an unjust world.
